226 SYSTEMATIC BOTANY. 



TEENSTECEMIACE^E OR CAMELLIACEJL 



THE CAMELIA OEDEE. 

 Coh. Guttiferales, Benth. et Hook. 



Diagnosis. Trees or shrubs, with alternate, rarely opposite, simple, 

 rarely compound leaves and no stipules ; flowers regular, rarely unisexual ; 

 andrcecium polyandrous, hypogynous ; sepals and petals both imbricated 

 in Eestivation ; stamens more or less coherent (1-, 3-, or 5-adelphous) at 

 the base, and adherent to the bases of the petals ; anthers 2-celled ; seeds 

 few, sometimes arillate ; perisperm little or none ; embryo straight or 

 folded, with the cotyledons large and thin, oily. Illustrative Genera: 

 Tribe 1. RHIZOBOLE^;. Caryocar, L. ; Tribe 2. MABCGKAAVIE^. Marc- 

 graaiia, L. ; Tribe 3. TERNSTKOSMIEJE. Ternstrcenria, L. f. ; Tribe 4. 

 SAURAUJE^:. Sauravja, Willd. ; Tribe 5. GOEDONIE^J. Gordonia, Ellis, 

 Camellia, Linn. ; Tribe 6. BO^NETTIJE. Kidmeyera, Mart. 



Affinities, &c. Ternstroamiads differ from Bixads in their manv-celled 

 ovary and want of stipules ; from Dipterocarps in their calyx, which is 

 not accrescent, their many- celled ovary, and watery (not resinous) juice. 

 From Tiliacea they differ in their imbricate '(not valvate) calyx ; from 

 Guttifers in their alternate leaves, usually perfect flowers, long style, 

 curved embryo, &c. From Hypericads they differ in habit, foliage, and 

 inflorescence. Through Sauranja they are connected witli the Ericaceous 

 genus Cldhra and with Dilleniads, "Eurya establishes a connexion with 

 Sapotacecs ; but these latter plants have extrorge anthers. The tribe 

 Marcc/roaviece, by some considered a distinct Order, comprises a few 

 plants differing from the rest of the Order in their aggregate flowers, 

 introrse, basih'xed anthers, sessile stigmas, and specially in their very 

 peculiar horn-line tubular bracts. The Khizobolece are large trees, with 

 opposite digitate leathery leaves, with an articulated stalk, and no sti- 

 pules ; sepals 5 or 6, more or less coherent, imbricated ; petals 5-8, inserted 

 with the numerous stamens on an hypogynous disk ; stamens slightly 

 coherent, in two circles, the inner shorter and often abortive ; ovary 

 superior, 4-o- or many-celled, with as many short styles and minute 

 stigmas, each cell with 1 ovule attached in the axis j fruit of several 

 combined indehiscent 1-seeded nuts, with a large aperispermic seed 

 chiefly consisting of an enormous tigellum with the cotyledons lying 

 in a groove. The large palmate leaves of Caryocar resemble those of 

 &8CWU8 ; but here the caulicle, and not the cotyledons, forms the mass of 

 the embryo. 



Distribution. The Ternstroemiads constitute a rather large family, 

 distributed mainly in tropical America and Eastern Asia; very few are 

 found in North America, and one species in the Canaries. 



Qualities and Uses. Some Sauranjas possess emollient properties. Gor- 

 donia is astringent. Tea is the produce of Thea chinensis ; black tea and 

 green tea are produced by the same plant, the difference consistino- in the 

 time of picking and mode of preparation of the leaves. The stimulant 

 properties of tea are due to the presence of a volatile oil and an astrin- 

 gent principle ; the nutritive qualities to a nitrogenous substance called 

 theine. The leaves also contain caseine, which, being insoluble in water, 



